The First Flight Around the World

You're looking at the model of the Smolny Convent in St. Petersburg (it was only partially built, without the incredible bell tower). The Italian-born architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli lived and worked in Russia during the reign of Elizabeth - and he had a vision to create something epic and undoubtedly special: a bell tower 140 meters tall with five distinct levels that would be taller than anything in Europe at the time!


(image via, click to enlarge)

Rastrelli's work was so ephemeral and ornate (he preferred to build in the style of Late Baroque, described as "sumptuous and majestic") that other architects humbly accepted the Smolny Convent as a "way how the REAL divine architecture should look" - never mind that the ambitious bell tower was not finished...



Some sources state that Elizabeth's death in 1762 prevented Rastrelli from completing this grand design (Catherine the Great favored Neo-Classical style instead); other sources insist that it was ultimately Rastrelli's decision to abandon the construction. Perhaps, he realized that the bell tower was too dominating and overpowering the whole Convent arrangement?

In any case, even without the huge bell tower, today the Smolny Convent shines delicately in the night, a true jewel of St. Peterburg's architecture:


(image via)

The ancient city of Kolomna

Who knew that a typical, drab, and grayish provincial town could hide such bursts of color? The Cathedral Square ensemble positively glows in the evening light:


(image credit: Vilenia Petrova)


(image credit: Yulia Baturina)


(image credit: Yulia Baturina)


(image credit: Yulia Baturina)

The small town of Vereya

The Nativity Cathedral borrows some charm and majesty from the softly-glowing evening hour:


(images credit: Igor Alpatov)

To give you an idea of the deeply mystical Russian forest and countryside surrounding these architectural gems, here is a typical painting-like river view:


(image credit: Igor Alpatov)

Warm, inviting winter scene, reminiscent of Christmas:


(image credit: Igor Alpatov)

Church of the Sign of Our Lady in Dubrovitsy, a small town near Moscow, is almost unknown to foreigners, yet truly beautiful in its form:


(image credit: Vilenia Petrova)

The ancient city of Pskov: fantastic Novgorod-style (inspired by Vikings) fortress architecture of the Pskov Kremlin -


(image via)

...and the Pechersky Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod: "The Road Goes Ever On"



(images credit: Sergey Kulikov)

The ancient city of Rostov: Spaso-Yakovlevski monastery walls invoke the sense of deep past and rich history:


(image credit: Oksana Ermikhina)

The ancient city of Suzdal: this pastoral, painting-like scene speaks of quiet peaceful small-town living (though the realities of provincial cities in Russia are pretty harsh):


(image credit: Oksana Ermikhina)

Russian Christmas comes complete with Father Frost (Ded Moroz), many presents and nippy cold weather:


(image credit: Oksana Ermikhina)

The Intercession Cathedral (Pokrovsky sobor) in Suzdal:


(image credit: Oksana Ermikhina)

Part of Russia's "Golden Ring" and first chronicled in 1024, Suzdal "once had 40 churches for 400 families". The compact Suzdal-Vladimir area contains 5 monasteries, 36 churches and 15 bell towers.

Here is the Cathedral of the Dormition in the ancient city of Vladimir: the blessed purity of white, the inspiration of pure faith:


(image credit: Viktor Galkin)


The Ancient City of Murom: Birthplace of a true Russian superhero

We are talking about Iliya Muromets, the ancient and all-powerful warrior and good-hearted "saviour" (bogatyr) who featured prominently in ancient Russian literature and magical fairy tales (together with even more powerful "elemental" mountain-like giant Svyatogor):


(top right: "Bogatyrs" painting (1898) by Viktor Vasnetsov; images via 1, 2)

This mighty hero was born here in time immemorial... and the city still breathes the mystical atmosphere of a fascinating past:


(image credit: Sergei Oseledko)

Very compact Kosmodemyanskaya Church... here your heart may skip a bit (if you let the silence of the place get to you):


(image credit: Vyacheslav Zaikin)

Some bell towers conceal an icon, a unique decorative touch:


(image credit: Sergei Oseledko, Constantin Voutsen)

Murom's Church of Ascension sports very cute golden mini-onion domes (left) and on the right is the Svyato-Blagoveschenski monastery built in 1554:


(image credit: Alexander Markin)

Murom's church of Nikolai Tchudotvorets, finished in profound yellow:


(image credit: Alexander Markin)

Cathedral of the Annunciation and the Trinity Cathedral, with yet another icon set in a wall:


(images credit: Andrey Panisko)

Near Murom, another old town of Uglich is famous for having the best cheese in Russia... Crossing over from Russia to Western Ukraine, some intensely romantic views can also be found, like this photo of the Kamenets-Podolski monastery:


(Many local churches are being restored in small towns all over Russia today, but also many old-style typical log houses get a fresh layer of paint: